JurassicCollectables Review Dimetrodon

Schleich Dimetrodon under the Spotlight

Those clever people at JurassicCollectables have produced a video review of the new for 2016 Dimetrodon replica by Schleich. Under the brand umbrella “First Giants”, Schleich have introduced two models so far this year, the blue-coloured Dilophosaurus was recently reviewed and now the second of the replicas in this series, the Dimetrodon has been scrutinised.

The Review of the Dimetrodon Model (Schleich) by JurassicCollectables

Video Credit: JurassicCollectables

In this brief video (it is a little over six minutes in length), a tour of the model is provided with commentary on the fantastic detail, especially those saggy skin folds and scales that makes this pelycosaur look so reptilian. Quite a remarkable feat of model making by the design team at Schleich, they really do seem to have captured the essence of this bygone predator. Particular attention is given to the paint job of the head and jaws (the lower jaw is articulated, like a number of other Schleich models). The palate is well painted and shows some nice touches and those heterodont teeth are carefully weathered to give the model a touch of realism. After all, depicting Dimetrodon with uniform teeth, just wouldn’t do.

Dimetrodon – “Two Form Tooth”

This Permian predator was not closely related to the dinosaurs and birds. It is often described as a “mammal-like reptile”, or, to be more technically accurate a “stem mammal” or a “non-mammalian synapsid”. These reptiles were part of the evolutionary lineage that gave rise to modern mammals and that includes us. The Dimetrodon genus was named by the famous American palaeontologist Edward Drinker Cope and a number of species are now known, they all had different sized and different shaped teeth in their jaws.

A Close Up of the Jaws of the Schleich Dimetrodon

The jaws of the Schleich Dimetrodon.

Picture Credit: Everything Dinosaur

Schleich have taken care to ensure that different sized teeth are depicted in the jaws (incisors and caniniforms at the front of the jaws), with smaller teeth towards the back of the mouth. The notch located in the upper jaw in front of the premaxilla, typical of this family (Sphenacodontidae), can be clearly seen in the model.

Although included in a range entitled “First Giants”, it is worth remembering that there were many large terrestrial vertebrates prior to the evolution of Dimetrodon, indeed, amongst the dozen of so species of Dimetrodon named, a number were relatively small, and most certainly, not all of them were apex predators. However, having made this point, it is great to see a video review of this famous sail-backed reptile. The narrator draws comparisons between this Schleich model and the Dimetrodon replica introduced by Papo back in 2013. Everything Dinosaur produced their own video review of the Papo Dimetrodon, to view the video: Papo Dimetrodon Reviewed by Everything Dinosaur